Over 270,000 overseas Chinese students return in 2012

China is now the world's largest source of overseas students. And the country's globalization is greatly benefiting from the talents returning home. A recent report shows the rising trend to come back after graduation or a few years of work.

"Staying or leaving?"

That's a question many overseas Chinese students ask each other--and themselves--repeatedly.

And the latest study shows more and more are heading home.

According to the newly released report on overseas Chinese students returning to China, more than 270,000 returned in 2012. That's nearly a 47 percent jump from the previous year.

In the past five years, 800,000 students have returned after graduation, triple the number between 1978 and 2008.

The main attraction is enormous job opportunities brought by China's maturing economy.

Wang Huiyao, Director of Ctr. for China & Globalization, said, "Nearly 390,000 students went abroad to study last year, and around 270,000 came back. Jobs in sales, marketing, and research and development are among the most popular for the returnees. The skills gained during their studies are the most needed for China's globalization. This is a selling point in recruitment."

The report notes the reasons for coming back vary according to generation. For those born in the 1960s and 70s, it was career development. For those born in the 1980s and 90s, over 90 percent choose "family" as their primary reason.

"Those overseas students of the past would often try everything to stay after study, even though they could not get a job and had to work in restaurants or the like. The scenario's been changed. For many students, if they can't find a job in the foreign country, they will just come back for better opportunities," Wang said.

The report also shows a global trend that an increasing number of Western-trained talents are flocking to the emerging economies instead of staying in the countries where they studied. Within five years, the annual figure of talents coming back to China is expected to exceed the number of those who go abroad.